During wiring installations, strands of galvanized steel wires are used. These wires are capable of sustaining the mechanical load. A stay wire manufacturer mostly deals in projects which are connected to the electricity industry. These are used to ‘stay’ the power poles and tower structures and hence it got its name. These are also commonly referred to as the “guy wire”.
Basically, if any heavy equipment is needed to be kept steady in structures like cell towers or utility equipment or in heavy construction sites then stay wires are put to use. In these situations, due to continuous load, over a long period of time, the poles might bend or the line might get twisted. So, the stay wire for an electric pole is used to provide horizontal support to the prolonged load.
Components of Stay Wires
The stay wire price may vary as per the quality of the components used. The main materials used are:
-
Prestressing steel which has a high tensile strength
-
For anchorages and structural purposes, forged steel is being made use of
-
Zinc or some other corrosion–protective coating is also applied on the prestressing steel or the components of structural steel
- Wax is also used as filling material to protect the strands and anchorage
-
Sheathing of polyethylene is applied on prestressing strands
-
Guide deviators or damping devices use rubber or ploy – chloroprene rubber
Main Avenues of Usage of a Stay Wire
Utility Poles for Power Systems
These are buried underground and are strong enough to be standing on their own accord. These are needed only in some poles for supporting lateral loads which are unbalanced. For protection purposes against faults, the stay wire manufacturer either adds a strain insulator which is made of ceramic, or fiberglass which gets inserted near the top.
Sailing
The sailboat mast, also known as “standing rigging” uses the stay wires. The bows and stern have the rigged stays. Multiple stays are installed along with spreaders for keeping the mast straight. Temporary stays are also used on a sailboat.
Antenna Mast
The electromagnetic fields emanated from the antennas make the design of stay wires which are to be used to support mast antennas. Each wire is divided by strain insulators into multiple sections which help in preventing the distortion of the radiation pattern from the antennas.
Sections of conductive stay wires might develop a huge load of static electricity, mostly on very tall masts. The voltage outburst which happens due to this static electricity can be many times higher than that which is generated by the transmitter. For the prevention of such dangerous discharges, the insulators need to be designed accordingly.
Features of a Good Quality Stay Wire
High-quality stay wire for electric poles can last many years on end. So, the features which should be given due importance are:
- The material used for manufacturing
- Pattern of stranding
- Tension and design used
- Coating weight
- Level of coating adherence
- The finishing of the wire
It is highly critical to select cautiously, keeping in mind various factors and not base the decision solely on the stay wire price. An accurate choice would be not only safe but highly beneficial too in the long run.
